Cape Heritage and The Loire
Timed Online Auction, 1 - 12 August 2024
Cape Heritage - White Wines
About the SessionThe Cape Heritage White Wine Session features the noble variety, Chenin Blanc, known for its versatility and fruit intensity. South Africa has the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in the world and produces long-aging, diverse and fine wines.
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About this Item
Chris and Suzanne Alheit set the wine world on fire with their maiden 2011 Cartology receiving 96 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Aiming to harness the best old vineyards across the Cape, the Cartology offered a textured old-vine Chenin Blanc Semillon blend with startling purity and depth. Passionate and focused on the expression of place, tiny, long-forgotten parcels were added to the range, and are today South Africa’s most profound white wines. We auction maiden vintages of Magnetic Makstok on the legendary ‘Skurfkop’ in the Citrusdal area, Huilkrans in the Paardeberg, La Colline in Franschhoek, and, extremely rare Radio Lazarus in Stellenbosch.
Cartology is one of the most recognisable Cape white blends today.
Cartology (meaning the study of maps) is a vinous exploration of Cape heritage. It’s intended to be a picture of the Cape, seen through the lens of her mature vineyards, in a given vintage. Therefore, the cuveé is composed of rare and extraordinary parcels of mature dryland bushvines. Naturally, the varieties used are also heritage varieties, namely Chenin Blanc and Semillon. They have been planted in the Cape for centuries.
Provenance
Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘This has superb, bright, stony citrus on the nose. Richness, power and creamy lees texture. So deep and yet spicily fresh. Fragrant and fruity and symmetrical. A slight dustiness that counteracts the ripe creamy fruit. Ripe but beautifully fresh. An easy vintage.’ - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20 (Jul 2018)
‘The 2015 Cartology is developing a succinct, quite gorgeous bouquet with jasmine, sea spray and a hint of linseed. There is a real complexity within this Cartology, very focused and taut. The palate is vivid and bright, conveying real energy and poise with wonderful salinity towards the finish, touches of hazelnut and Chinese 5-spice on the aftertaste. This is a scintillating, quite cerebral Cartology that is going to give a lot of pleasure.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 94/100 (Aug 2018)
‘It offers complex and quite arresting aromas of walnut, wax resin, linseed and smoke that blossom in the glass, always as much an intellectual proposition as a sensory one. The palate is well balanced with superb balanced, very saline in the mouth, evoking images of the sea, fanning out with citrus fruit mixed with hazelnut and Chinese five spice. This is yet another killer wine in the Cartology series since 2011.’ - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Apr 2017)
'More than ever, 2015 reflects chenin & semillon partnership, latter up to 14%. There’s an earthy, sunnily ripe aromatic quality mirrored in the rich & dense texture. Clean, lemony intensity provides lengthy conclusion. Lovely wine from grand vintage; long potential.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2017, 4.5*
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